


The Future Starts Now

by Brenda



Series: Off The Record [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Journalism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bucky Barnes Feels, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Romantic Fluff, Steve Rogers Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-27 15:37:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5054299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brenda/pseuds/Brenda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Okay, good," Steve said. He leaned in for a quick kiss, the bristles of his beard and mustache tickling Bucky's lips, then, after a deep breath, dropped to one knee.</i>
</p><p>  <i>Bucky blinked. Every bit of air in his lungs left in an unsteady exhale. He couldn’t feel his legs. "Steve...?"</i></p><p>  <i>Steve tightened his grip on Bucky's hand. Gazed up at him with a potent, heady mixture of love and adoration and sheer nervousness. Everything else – the music from the DJ, the crowd around them, the room itself – faded to nothing. The only thing in his world was Steve.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	The Future Starts Now

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt I got on Tumblr from Kristin-Dearest: **Steve/Bucky, things you said when you were crying, happy ending, lots of tooth rotting fluff please??**
> 
> I'm pretty sure I hit all the high notes. :D

In the past two years Steve and Bucky had been together (or, as Steve liked to say, finally back together where they belonged), Bucky had been to his fair share of after parties and entertainment-related functions. Steve may still eschew the red carpet and interviews and press junkets, but he’d never minded showing up at a charity gala one of his friends was sponsoring, or going to any of the parties thrown by his producers or studios. And Bucky was always happy to be Steve’s date to these events, happy to step inside Steve’s world and meet the people with whom Steve spent so much time. Bucky wasn't sure he'd ever get _completely_ used to the glitz and glamour and ridiculousness, but he'd learned how to navigate his way around with a ready smile and a gift for the requisite shallow small talk such functions always required.

Still, there was something different about tonight’s event, and not just because the party was taking place in Brooklyn, about three blocks from Steve and Bucky's brownstone. Tonight was special because it was the world premiere of Steve's directorial debut, and the buzz surrounding it was already so overwhelmingly positive that Bucky’d been hearing Oscar talk for not only the movie, but for Steve as Best Director. And while Steve professed not to care about any awards (he didn’t even own his Best Actor Oscar - it was on display in Maria’s office), Bucky still couldn’t help but be as proud of Steve and what he’d accomplished as if it was _his_ film. In a real way, he felt like it was – he'd been there through all of the pre-production meetings and script changes and location scouting and assembling the cast and the rounds of rehearsals (often at Steve and Bucky’s place), and the actual long, grueling shoot and even longer and more grueling editing process. He'd gained a new respect for the sheer amount of _effort_ that went into making a movie, and for Steve's dedication in seeing his artistic vision all the way through to the end. To now and the celebration of the culmination of everyone's hard work.

He'd lost Steve about an hour prior – one of the producers had stolen him away to introduce him to one of the investors, and Bucky knew that Steve was also taking his duties as ‘host’ seriously and doing his best to speak to every single guest – but he'd been keeping himself amused chatting with some of the crew and cast from the film. He was on his third glass of champagne, feeling pleasantly buzzed, and looking forward to the end of the night when he and Steve could go home, maybe indulge in a little private celebrating. Bucky'd been dying to peel Steve out of his well-tailored suit all night.

"You have any new assignments coming up?" Sam, Steve's lead actor on the film (and one of Steve's best friends in Hollywood), asked. They'd gotten to know each other really well since Bucky and Steve had gotten together, and Bucky didn't mind admitting he loved the guy. He was glad as hell Steve had someone as level-headed and _decent_ as Sam in his corner.

"I do, but it's a local story this time," Bucky replied. "Covering the housing crisis here in New York."

"Man, that's a heavy subject," Sam remarked. "Don't you believe in doing anything light?"

Bucky grinned and sipped at his champagne. "The last time I did a fluff piece, I wound up moving in with my subject, so I'm not too sure doing it again is a good idea."

Sam chuckled. "True enough, true enough. I keep telling Steve he needs to turn your story into a script, get it made into a film. What you two went through, how you made your way back to each other...there wouldn't be a dry eye in the theatre."

"Steve and I have actually talked about it," Bucky replied. He was sure his cheeks were pink, and not just from the flush of the alcohol. It was still strange to think that his and Steve’s childhood friendship and adult reunion was public knowledge. Darcy’d done an amazing job with the feature on Steve, after Bucky’d handed over the reins, uncomfortable with making himself the subject of his own interview, and Natasha’d been thrilled at the amount of traffic the story generated. "I think he and Darcy are going to sit down in the next couple of months, maybe, see if there's anything there. He wants a shot at writing the script himself, or taking the first crack at it."

"It'd be a great follow up directing gig for him if he decided to shoot it as well," Sam said. "Give him a chance to move into another genre, really show his range."

"I think that's the idea," Bucky said, then smiled when he felt an arm sneaking around his waist. He leaned back against a familiar chest, and turned, brushing a kiss to Steve's beard. "Hey, you. Your ears must be burning."

"I hope you two were saying good things," Steve replied, and bent his head to nuzzle at Bucky's nape. His next question was a low murmur that vibrated along Bucky’s skin. "Having a good time?" 

"A great time," Bucky told him, with a small, anticipatory shiver. He was just about ready to call it a night and claim Steve for himself. "So proud of you."

"Well, I couldn't have done any of it without you," Steve said, and turned Bucky so they were facing each other. Steve had lost his tie and jacket at some point, and the top two buttons of his white dress shirt were unbuttoned, baring the hollow of his throat. Bucky's mouth all but watered at the sight. The only reason he didn't lean in for a quick nibble was the odd look Steve was giving him.

"You okay?" he asked, brows furrowing together. He'd thought everything was running smoothly, but maybe something had happened...

"I'm great," Steve assured him, but the anxious look was still on his face. "I just...I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh, we're doing this now?" Bucky heard Sam say, but all of his attention was on Steve, and the jittery flick of his tongue over his bottom lip and the apprehension dulling normally bright blue eyes. He barely felt it when Sam nimbly took his champagne glass from him.

"You wanna go somewhere private?" Bucky asked, reaching out to lace his fingers with Steve's. Letting Steve know he was there. They were a team, no matter what. "We can head home, if you want."

"No, I...I really want to do this here," Steve replied, with a small, shy smile that was at odds with his shaky breaths. "You have to promise you're not going to kill me, though."

"Why would I do that?" Bucky asked, mystified. What the hell was going on? "But yeah, of course, I promise."

"Okay, good," Steve said. He leaned in for a quick kiss, the bristles of his beard and mustache tickling Bucky's lips, then, after a deep breath, dropped to one knee.

Bucky blinked. Every bit of air in his lungs left in an unsteady exhale. He couldn’t feel his legs. "Steve...?"

Steve tightened his grip on Bucky's hand. Gazed up at him with a potent, heady mixture of love and adoration and sheer nervousness. Everything else – the music from the DJ, the crowd around them, the room itself – faded to nothing. The only thing in his world was Steve.

"I know this is super public," Steve said, after a small, weighted pause. "And, believe me, I've thought about the perfect way I was going to do this...about a billion times. Every day since that night at Ten Pound, in fact. But I wanted to make _sure_ that what we had was solid. I wanted to know we could handle the separations and our hectic lifestyles and that this wasn't some nostalgic trip we were both on –"

"It wasn't," Bucky interrupted, in a thick voice he barely even recognized. "It isn’t, Stevie, you gotta know that." 

"I know, but you gotta let me finish, or I'll just start crying and then I’ll never say what I need to say," Steve said, with that wide-grooved smile Bucky loved so much, and a telltale sheen in his eyes. 

"Okay." Bucky squeezed Steve’s hand, his heart so full it felt like it might burst at any moment. "Go on."

"I love you," Steve said, his voice firm and clear and still a miracle every time Bucky heard it. "I've loved you since I was five years old and that's never gone away. I'll love you tomorrow and next year and when I'm ninety and into the next life and the next one after that. And I can't think of a better time and place than here and now, surrounded by our family and friends, in a time of celebration, on the best night of my life." With his free hand, Steve fumbled with his pants pocket, then pulled out a small black box. Flipped it open to reveal a plain, polished platinum band. But the shine of it was nothing compared to the look he was giving Bucky. A look Bucky knew he’d never forget as long as he lived.

"James Buchanan Barnes, will you…" Steve’s voice cracked and he took a second to regain himself before continuing "...will you do me the honor of being my husband?"

"Yes, _yes_ , Steve, Stevie...fuck, the answer's always been yes." Bucky let out a watery laugh and pulled Steve to his feet as loud, sustained applause broke out all around them. Steve's smile was the most beautiful thing Bucky'd ever seen, and the arms holding him tight were the only home Bucky knew he'd ever need.

Their lips met, joyful and a little salty from the tears they were both shedding, but it was the best kiss Bucky could ever remember. "You just _had_ to go for the grand gesture," Bucky joked, swiping at Steve's tears with his thumb, returning the smile with his entire being.

Steve's shrug was sheepish, but unapologetic. "What can I say, I'm an actor and a director. Grand gestures are kinda in my DNA." 

"Yeah I guess they are," Bucky said, then held up his left hand. "You gonna make this official, or what?"

"You bet your ass I am," Steve laughed, sounding relieved. He worked the ring free from the box and slid it on Bucky's finger. It was a perfect fit. 

They accepted pats on the back and congratulations from everyone around them, and tearful, proud hugs from Bucky's mom and dad. (Bucky found out much later on that Steve had told them what he was planning ahead of time, and had gotten Bucky's father's blessing, because he was an old-fashioned soul like that.) Someone – Bucky thought maybe Sam – pressed two flutes of champagne into their hands, and the DJ lead the room in a toast. Through it all, Bucky kept his hand in Steve's, the metal warm on his finger, the weight of it a comfort and a promise.

"I love you," he murmured, giving Steve another lingering kiss. "This was perfect."

"You deserve perfect," Steve said, with another bright grin. "You about ready to make the rounds and get out of here?"

"Oh yeah." Bucky leaned in, whispered the next words in Steve's ear. "Just so you know, I'm giving you the best blowjob in the history of blowjobs for this."

Steve let out a small whimper, and tightened his hold on Bucky's waist. "No objections here," he managed, in a strangled voice.

"Good." Bucky was sure his answering smirk was some strange mixture of smug and giddy and goofy, but he didn't mind. He had everything he ever wanted – Steve, his best friend and the love of his life – right here in his arms, and he couldn't wait to get started on the rest of their lives together.

***

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [Stephrc79](stephrc79.tumblr.com) for the beta!!!!
> 
> You can now find me on [Tumblr](brendaonao3.tumblr.com).


End file.
